When Food Was Fatal: The Great Molasses Flood of 1919

Ever been killed by coffee? Poisoned by pepper? Drowned by molasses?!
Welcome to the most unappetizing episode of the century.

In this delightfully unhinged episode of For the Love of History, we're diving into the sticky, deadly, and downright absurd world of food disasters in the early 1900s. From lead-laced milk to spice-rack murder, we explore how everyday foods became instruments of death — all thanks to lack of regulation, industrial negligence, and profit-hungry robber barons.

🎙️ You’ll learn about:

The horrific ingredients hiding in 1900s food (hello, formaldehyde coffee!)
Why the Great Molasses Flood of 1919 turned Boston’s North End into a syrupy war zone
How molasses killed 21 people and the industrial greed behind it
The real reason the FDA even exists (spoiler: it wasn’t to help you)
And yes, the Dublin Whiskey Fire of 1875, aka flaming boot whiskey that killed 13 drunk dudes

This episode is part true crime, part food safety horror story, and 100% historically bonkers. If you love weird history, food disasters, and a sarcastic trip through the past — this one’s for you.

📌 Chapters 00:00 Welcome to chaos 01:00 How food killed in the 1900s 07:00 The Great American Stomach Ache 16:00 The Great Molasses Flood of 1919 24:00 Corporate greed & brown paint 26:00 The Dublin Whiskey Fire 29:00 Final thoughts & big takeaways

🧭 Keywords

Great Molasses Flood 1919, food disasters 1900s, Boston molassacre, industrial accidents history, molasses tank explosion, historical food safety, dangerous food history, robber barons, Dublin Whiskey Fire, history of the FDA

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Published on 4 weeks, 1 day ago

Podcast Episode Details

When Food Was Fatal: The Great Molasses Flood of 1919